The present invention relates generally to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a medium, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a medium which are adapted such that, by making a server execute processing corresponding to a two-dimensional bar code to be used in a shared manner, a plurality of terminals can acquire a same processing result for the two-dimensional bar code.
Bar codes are currently used in many industrial fields as a means for acquiring the identification information about products in an easy and secure manner. For example, in various wholesale/retail shops, products are identified from the bar codes attached thereon and the corresponding prices (stored in memory in advance) are read from a database to be displayed on a display unit.
In addition to the above-mentioned application in which products are identified and controlled based on the identification information read from code patterns, a more versatile application is currently proposed in which predetermined processing corresponding to code patterns are executed.
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a two-dimensional (2D) code processing system so-called xe2x80x9cCyberCodexe2x80x9d for executing processing corresponding to a two-dimensional bar code (hereafter referred to as a 2D code) previously proposed by the applicant hereof as the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei10-184351.
Illustratively, the following description is available at the time of submitting this application from the home page offered by this applicant at (URL): http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/ProductsPark/Consumer/PCOM/PCG-C1CAT/cybercode.html
xe2x80x9cWhat we call xe2x80x9cCyberCodexe2x80x9d is Sony""s unique two-dimensional code system that offers about 16.77 million different patterns (in 24 bits). Of these patterns, about one million patterns (in 20 bits) may be registered as desired for program start-up purposes. The remaining code patterns are reserved for future service expansion. xe2x80x9cCyberCodexe2x80x9d works as an index to what is represented by the code in question, the index allowing relevant information to be retrieved from computer storage. When a user starts a program through a new interface feature xe2x80x9cCyberCode Finder,xe2x80x9d the user finds that the corresponding information leaps from the object having the xe2x80x9cCyberCodexe2x80x9d onto the computer screen.xe2x80x9d
In this example, an object 100 is a card shaped like a business card, a 2D code 101 being attached (or printed) thereon. The 2D code 101 is provided with a cell portion A and a logo portion B spaced from each other by one block in a rectangular range which is 9.5-block-high and 7-block-wide, taking one block as a unit as shown in FIG. 17. In the cell portion A of 7-block-high and 7-block-wide square, square cells are two-dimensionally patterned in the square range for forming a code pattern. It should be noted that, in correspondence to this code pattern, the identification number (hereafter referred to as a 2D code ID) of a 2D code represented by a 24-bit bit code is set.
In the logo portion B, a large rectangular cell having 1.5-block-high and 7-block-wide is arranged, in which the name of the object 100 or an advertisement mark (a logo) is written.
A 2D code associated program executing unit 201 reads the 2D code ID of the 2D code 101 from the image data of the 2D code 101 read by a bar code reader, not shown, and searches a local 2D code database 201A incorporated in the program executing unit to execute a program (hereafter referred to as a 2D code associated program) associated with the 2D code ID.
Like the 2D code associated program executing unit 201, a 2D code associated program executing unit 202 reads a 2D code ID from the image data of the 2D code 101 and searches a local 2D code database 202A to execute a 2D code associated program associated with the 2D code ID.
Thus, simply making the 2D code associated program executing units 201 and 202 read a 2D code can execute a 2D code associated program corresponding to that 2D code. However, because the 2D code associated program executing unit 201 or 202 is adapted to set any program in correspondence to any bar code, different programs are required to set to one 2D code in an associative manner and information (hereafter referred to as 2D code associated information) about the assignment between 2D code and program is not shared. Consequently, it is difficult to execute one session of processing for one 2D code between the 2D code associated program executing units 201 and 202.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide efficiently execute processing corresponding to a pattern composed of a two-dimensional bar code for example.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision means for deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing means for executing, if the identification information is decided as the local identification information by the decision means, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting means for requesting, if the identification information is decided as the global identification information by the decision means, a specific server to execute the global processing corresponding to the identification information; and a global processing result acquiring means for acquiring the result of the global processing by the specific server.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision means for deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a validity condition registering means for previously registering a validity condition of the global identification information; a validity condition decision means for deciding whether or not the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing means satisfies the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering means; a global processing executing means for executing, when the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision means and is decided to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision means, global processing corresponding to the identification information; an update information requesting means for requesting, if the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision means and is decided not to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision means, update information associated with global processing corresponding to the identification information from a specific server; and an updated global processing executing means for updating the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering means on the basis of the update information acquired by the specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of the update information.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method including: an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision step of deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing step of executing, if the identification information is decided as the local identification information by the decision step, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting step for requesting, if the identification information is decided as the global identification information by the decision step, a specific server to execute the global processing corresponding to the identification information; and a global processing result acquiring step of acquiring the result of the global processing by the specific server.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medium which allows an information processing apparatus to execute a program, the program including: an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision step of deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing step of executing, if the identification information is decided as the local identification information by the decision step, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting step for requesting, if the identification information is decided as the global identification information by the decision step, a specific server to execute the global processing corresponding to the identification information; and a global processing result acquiring step of acquiring the result of the global processing by the specific server.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method including: an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision step of deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a validity condition registering step of previously registering a validity condition of the global identification information; a validity condition decision step of deciding whether or not the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step satisfies the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering step; a global processing executing step for executing, when the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision step and is decided to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision step, global processing corresponding to the identification information; an update information requesting step of requesting, if the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision step and is decided not to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision step, update information associated with global processing corresponding to the identification information from a specific server; and an updated global processing executing step of updating the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering step on the basis of the update information acquired by the specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of the update information.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medium which allows an information processing apparatus to execute a program, the program including: an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by the image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision step of deciding whether the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a validity condition registering step of previously registering a validity condition of the global identification information; a validity condition decision step of deciding whether or not the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing step satisfies the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering step; a global processing executing step for executing, when the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision step and is decided to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision step, global processing corresponding to the identification information; an update information requesting step of requesting, if the identification information is decided as global identification information by the decision step and is decided not to satisfy the validity condition by the validity condition decision step, update information associated with global processing corresponding to the identification information from a specific server; and an updated global processing executing step of updating the validity condition registered in the validity condition registering step on the basis of the update information acquired by the specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of the update information.
These and other objects will become more apparent when a preferred embodiment of this invention is considered in connection with the drawings.